The struggle to gain steady employment can be a grueling one, since many companies are only hiring temporary workers and contractors.
Sue Smith, director at placement firm BIE Interim, explains to The Financial Times that employers are less willing to conduct expensive searches at the moment, and they may take on temporary people, then offer them something more if it goes in the right direction.
"You need to start proving that you are indispensable before you start looking for opportunities," David Fleming, director at professional services recruiter Badenoch & Clark, tells the news source. "Do the basics well, too – know the dress code and the values, be punctual and polite, and go in with the attitude that you need to prove yourself."
Worktree.com adds that temps often operate under the misconception that their work is different from the work of a permanent employee. Yet temporary employees are under even more pressure to impress their company if they wish to become full-time – their quality of work must be just as good, if not better, than everyone else's.
The Times recommends that a temp worker be employed for at least six months before considering a request for a full-time position.
